Antler stem cells as a novel stem cell source for reducing liver fibrosis

Rong, Xiaoli; Yang, Yanyan; Zhang, Guokun; Zhang, Haiying; Li, Chunyi; Wang, Yimin

doi:10.1007/s00441-019-03081-z

Cited by 14 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…The space of Disse surrounds the sinusoids and constitutes a stem-cell niche that harbors HSCs or liver-resident mesenchymal stem cells that patrol and regulate cellular function within this microenvironment (177)(178)(179)(180)(181). HSCs, antler stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and other cells freely migrate within the space of Disse and contribute to regeneration, liver fibrosis, carcinogenesis, and metastasis (177)(178)(179)(180)(181)(182)(183)(184)(185). The complexities of this resident stem-cell space may contribute to the liver becoming an organ of extra-medullary hematopoiesis (Figure 5A) that is also prone to tumor metastasis.…”

Section: Liver Cell and Organ Biologymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Provocative Roles of Platelets in Liver Disease and Cancer

et al. 2021

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Both platelets and the liver play important roles in the processes of coagulation and innate immunity. Platelet responses at the site of an injury are rapid; their immediate activation and structural changes minimize the loss of blood. The majority of coagulation proteins are produced by the liver—a multifunctional organ that also plays a critical role in many processes: removal of toxins and metabolism of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs. Chronic inflammation, trauma, or other causes of irreversible damage to the liver can dysregulate these pathways leading to organ and systemic abnormalities. In some cases, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios can also be a predictor of disease outcome. An example is cirrhosis, which increases the risk of bleeding and prothrombotic events followed by activation of platelets. Along with a triggered coagulation cascade, the platelets increase the risk of pro-thrombotic events and contribute to cancer progression and metastasis. This progression and the resulting tissue destruction is physiologically comparable to a persistent, chronic wound. Various cancers, including colorectal cancer, have been associated with increased thrombocytosis, platelet activation, platelet-storage granule release, and thrombosis; anti-platelet agents can reduce cancer risk and progression. However, in cancer patients with pre-existing liver disease who are undergoing chemotherapy, the risk of thrombotic events becomes challenging to manage due to their inherent risk for bleeding. Chemotherapy, also known to induce damage to the liver, further increases the frequency of thrombotic events. Depending on individual patient risks, these factors acting together can disrupt the fragile balance between pro- and anti-coagulant processes, heightening liver thrombogenesis, and possibly providing a niche for circulating tumor cells to adhere to—thus promoting both liver metastasis and cancer-cell survival following treatment (that is, with minimal residual disease in the liver).

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Section: Liver Cell and Organ Biologymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Provocative Roles of Platelets in Liver Disease and Cancer

et al. 2021

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“…In recent years, cell therapy based on mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) has been widely used to treat various diseases [7] and reported excellent therapeutic effects on tissue injuries, including the bone [8], cartilage [9], skin [10][11][12], brain [13], liver [14], lung [15][16][17], and heart [18][19][20]. Among these diseases, MSCs may elicit a superior therapeutic response on lung injury because administered MSCs first reach the lung after being transplanted through a vein [15,21]; especially under the current situation, researchers have proposed using MSCs to treat PF caused by COVID-19 [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among these diseases, MSCs may elicit a superior therapeutic response on lung injury because administered MSCs first reach the lung after being transplanted through a vein [15,21]; especially under the current situation, researchers have proposed using MSCs to treat PF caused by COVID-19 [22]. In addition, MSCs exhibit antifibrosis activities in scar healing of wound [10][11][12] and organ fibrosis [14][15][16][17], which would be relevant to PF. MSCs are usually obtained from the adult bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, adipose tissue, and placenta [23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extracellular vesicles derived from umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells alleviate pulmonary fibrosis by means of transforming growth factor-β signaling inhibition

Shi

Ren

et al. 2021

Stem Cell Res Ther

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Background Pulmonary fibrosis (PF), the end point of interstitial lung diseases, is characterized by myofibroblast over differentiation and excessive extracellular matrix accumulation, leading to progressive organ dysfunction and usually a terminal outcome. Studies have shown that umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (uMSCs) could alleviate PF; however, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Methods The therapeutic effects of uMSC-derived extracellular vesicles (uMSC-EVs) on PF were evaluated using bleomycin (BLM)-induced mouse models. Then, the role and mechanism of uMSC-EVs in inhibiting myofibroblast differentiation were investigated in vivo and in vitro. Results Treatment with uMSC-EVs alleviated the PF and enhanced the proliferation of alveolar epithelial cells in BLM-induced mice, thus improved the life quality, including the survival rate, body weight, fibrosis degree, and myofibroblast over differentiation of lung tissue. Moreover, these effects of uMSC-EVs on PF are likely achieved by inhibiting the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway, evidenced by decreased expression levels of TGF-β2 and TGF-βR2. Using mimics of uMSC-EV-specific miRNAs, we found that miR-21 and miR-23, which are highly enriched in uMSC-EVs, played a critical role in inhibiting TGF-β2 and TGF-βR2, respectively. Conclusion The effects of uMSCs on PF alleviation are likely achieved via EVs, which reveals a new role of uMSC-EV-derived miRNAs, opening a novel strategy for PF treatment in the clinical setting.

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“…Its regeneration is initiated by antler stem cells (ASCs), which are capable of sustained self-renewal and differentiation into multi-lineage cells to form an organ (Sui et al, 2020 ). Compared with other types of mammalian stem cells, ASCs are much easier to acquire and exhibit much higher proliferative and regenerative capacity (Wang et al, 2019 ; Rong et al, 2020 ). As a result, ASCs could be a potentially inexhaustible source to support exosome-based treatment.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consistently, previous studies demonstrated that the antler extract has multiple biological activities including anti-inflammation and wound healing (Yao et al, 2018 ). Moreover, ASCs and ASC-conditioned medium have been tested and confirmed for their beneficial effects in some animal disease models (Rong et al, 2019 ; Rong et al, 2020 ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%